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Arrival and information
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The
RAo Cuale
, spanned by two small road bridges and a couple of wobbly foot bridges, divides Puerto Vallarta in two. Most of the town - the main square, official buildings, market and the bulk of the shops and restaurants - lies on the north side. South you'll find the town beach and the cheaper hotels. It's a very small place, hemmed in by the ocean and by the steep slopes behind - downtown, you can walk just about anywhere. Frequent local
buses
run around the edge of the BahAa de Banderas to the north, towards the hotel zone (buses marked "Hoteles"), and, slightly less frequently, south to the smaller beaches.
About 1.5km further north lies the sparkling clean, long-distance bus station, the Central Camionera , served by buses to and from the centre marked "Aeropuerto", "Ixtapa", "Juntas" or "Mojoneras". The station has a guarderAa and long-distance telephones. The airport (information on 3/221-1298) lies 9km north of the centre on the coastal highway, and is linked to the city by local buses that stop a few steps outside the perimeter fence. Airport taxis go right to the door and cost around US$10. If you can find a colectivo it should be around a third of the price but local buses (marked "Olas Altas" or "Centro") provide an easy and far cheaper alternative.
The reasonably helpful
tourist office
(Mon-Fri 9am-8pm; tel 3/221-2626) is in the municipal palace on the zA?calo. For up-to-date, if promotional, information on what's going on in town, pick up the daily
Vallarta Today
(free, in gringo hangouts). Puerto Vallarta is also well represented on various
websites
:
www.puertovallarta.net
is the Tourism Board's official site and contains comprehensive listings of what to do and where to stay, along with up-to-the-minute news and weather reports;
www.vallartaonline.com
provides travel news as well as practical information such as where to find gyms, shipping services, doctors and dentists. If you find yourself in any sort of trouble or just need advice, approach one of the people dressed in white uniforms and pith helmets - these are the
tourist police
. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Mexico,
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